Self-venting container



R. B. NEBINGER SELF-VENTING CONTAINER Fle'd Feb. l0, 1958 June 7, 1960 [IIN H ATTORNEYS.

TU Seres-Pam if@ lNeliinger,

Monarch Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of v Delaware Y .4

l, This invention'relates to va vented, thermally-insulated jug and more particularly to an improved fluid discharge nr61forsuchaiug-x 1 i f 'e ented, thermally-insulated'jugs are, of course, quite well lnowm `vIjIeretoforepwhen a jug was provided vwith a" spigot-controlled gravity-discharge system, venting of the 'jiig was accomplished either byunscrewingltheljugs top cap, to unseal vthe jug, or by providing `a vent open-1 ing-1in or near the top of the jug, which was ,either a1-` ways open to theV atmosphere-or could be readily uncapped'for tha't'purpese.V j f K 1 j e I The first method of venting had drawbacks', in that an extra opera-tion isrrequired to permit proper operation-of the spigot-controlled discharge. TheVY users forgetting Vto unscreww'the cap initially, or forgetting to'sc'rew itl back on after use, all contrilnlte to improper and unsatisfactory jug usage. j The i second ventingmethod is frequently unsatisfactory in use, since when ariilled; jug is tipped over, the liquid will leak out throughthe open vent path. The `object of this invention is to provide a vented jug construction which avoids Athe afore'noted problemsl by providing a single control for substantially simultaneously opening both the fluid discharge Vmeans and the vent meansforthejlig-f'/ j Another object of'this 'invention jug'cons'truction wherein the uid discharge passageway and venting passageway areA normally -clbsed'fby valve means' vwhich may be selectively a opened substaiit'ially` simultaneously yby a single control member, 'tojeffect properand desired uid discharge from the-jug. Y' l Further objects andgadvantag'esz of vthis Vinvention will become apparent asf tlieffollowingV 4description proceeds and the features of novelty" which characterize this invention will be pointed outV with particulari-ty in the claims annexed to andhforming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment 'of thisfinv'ention-is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich: .Figure 1 is a side elevation view showing a thermallyinsnlated jug equipped withthe new fluid discharge contro i Figure 2, is 'an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical crosssection view through'the insulated jug, and illustrates'the important details of said control. Z

Figure 3 is an elevationview'of the exterior ofthe control, andis taken looking substantially from the left ofFigurz.. Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a thermally-insulated jug generally indicated at 10, which is provided with a pivotable handle, or bail, 12 and with a closure cap, or lid, 14 for the top of the jug. Prois 4to provide a vented ceive a screw-threaded closure ca'p 14.

e 2,939,611 llia'tented June 7, 1,960

, l i f2 a: space 22 therebetween whichY substantially insulates the inner shellf18 from the outer shell 20. The space 22 may, desired, be filled with suitable insulating material, as is well known in'the r The outer shell 20 i'seappropriatelyfthreaded fat` its upper end at 24 to re- A suitably formed sealing gasket `26 is provided between the inner shell 18 and outer shell 20 to elect the necessary seal- 4ing off of insulating space- 22 between the shells. The cap 14 carries' an annular washer-like sealing gasket 28 which Ais adapted to clampA against the upper lip of the jug mouth to eiect proper sealing of the interior of the jug.' What .has been described thus far is well known in the art, and merely forms the ybasic environment in which the invention offthis vapplication is disposed.

The inner shell 18 is provided with a vent opening-:30 which communicates Withithe interior of the jug near the top thereof. The vent: opening is-defined by Ymeans of a ferrule V32 which is positioned in an'aperture formed in -shell`18, and which ferrule is appropriately mounted on `the wallof shell 18.by` means of a 'pair of sealing washers 34, a' bearing washer 36, and a nut 38 which, together with the flanged head ofthe ferru1e 32,`operates `tos'ecure lthe' ferrule'3'2in position on shell 18. The tubular stem of ferrule 32 is'fappropriately threaded to receive the nut 38..- A portion of the stem of ferrule 32 extends beyond the nut 38 to dene a tubular stud 40 onto which onejen'd ofa resilientair-tight vent tube ,'42 may be press fit, .to be secured in position. vThe vent tube 42 is wholly disposed in the space 22 between the shel-ls. f

The lower end of the jug is provided with 'the fluiddispensing Ycontrol Y16, and more'particularly'includes a fitting member 44 which extends through'an aperture in the outer shell 20;" An annular sealing-and mounting` gasket 45surrounding iitting 44 is positioned `in ysaid aperturein the outer =shell 20 and cooperates therewith-toV maintain Ithe insulating space'ZZ air tight'. krThe gasketl 45 provides atubular portion 45a, disposed betweenthe fitting" 44 andthe edges of the aperture in shell 20, and

' `a washer-like portion'45b which is yclampedv between iitingf 44l and an annular wall-portion of shellV 20 which surrounds said aperture. I 1

The itting 44 defines, in part, an upstanding tubular stud 146, over which-the lower end of resilient, air-tight, vent :tube-42 may be press lit, to establish communications between the bore in stud 46 and the Vent opening 30. The tting 44 also has a threaded recess into which is screwed' a tubular stud 48, which is of a length and is so positioned as to extend through the wall vof inner shell 18, to establish communication with the interior of the jug. The stud 48, 'and the iitting 44 to jecting laterally from the side of the jug, adjacent the lower end thereof, is a control generally indicated at 16.

More specifically, .the jug 10, as can best be seen in Figure 2, comprises a fluid-tight inner shell 18, adapted to receive and hold the jugs contents, and an outer shell 30, which are assembled in spaced relationship to define lwhich it is connected, is rigidly securedY to the wall of mner shell 18 by means of sealing washers'SO disposed on opposite sides of shell-18, bearing washers 52 for ycooperation with the sealing Ywashers and a nut 54 which Vis 'threaded onto the exterior'v of the tubular's'tud 48; The outermost washer 52 abuts against the fitting 44 to establish a very rigid connection'for the mounting of stud'48andtting44onthe`jug. Y

.j rI 'he interiorof stu'd 48 is shaped tov define anv annular valve seat 56, and the bore of annular stud48 communicates outwardly past valve seat 56 with a. Huid-receiving passageway 58 formed in the fitting 44. The itting 44 also defines an upright, internal, wall portion 60 which is apertured, or bored, to slidably receive a tubular valve stem 62 extending therethrough and carrying at the extended end thereofan annular, resilient, sealing valve member 64 adapted for seating against valve seat 56. An elongated threaded bolt 65 extending through tubular valve stem 62 operates to clamp sealing valve member 64 yapagan yond the opposite end ofy stem 62 to receive thereon a control button 66. The underside of control button 66` is annularly recessed at 68, and a coil spring 70, positioned in annular recess 68 for reacting against upright wall 60, is operative to normally bias sealing valvemember 64 to its normal closed position, as seeninLFigure 25 The fitting 44 is` shapeclto define a downwardly. ,clepending discharge portion having a discharge. spout bore' 72 therethrough which communicates at its upper end with the fluid-receiving passageway 58. a

The tting 44 is further bored, or formed, with an air passageway 74 therethrough which extends through the. upwardly extended tubular stud 46 andy then turns to .pass laterally in substantially parallel spaced relation to pas-Y sageway 58. Mounted in the outer end of passageway 74 is a normally closed, spring-biased, air-valve 76vof well.- known construct-ion, which. may be screw-threaded into position, and which has an. outwardly extending stem 78,

l said jug, and an elongated air-*bleed passageway means,

by means of which passagethrough the air-valve may be.

controlled.

The control button 66 is shaped to dene an upwardly extending button extension 80, which is positioned` oppositely of and in slightly spaced relationto the outermost end of air-valve stern 78, so that when the control button 66 is vdepressed slightly inwardly against the bias of spring. 70, the button extension 80 operates to engage air-valve stem 78, and, thereafter, further depres-4 sion of button 66 operates to simultaneously open fluidcontrol valve 64 and air-valve 76.

It Will thus be seen that. the air-valve 76 is. normally closed and constitutes vent valve means for preventing passage of air through passageway 74, the vent tube 42, and vent opening to the interior. of the jug. At the same one end of which is positioned n said insulating space of the jug and the other end `of" which terminates outwardly of the outer shell lof said jug; air-bleed means t located wholly within saidinsulating space of the rjug andv communicating said one end of the bleed passageway means to said vent opening; tirst valve means for selectively opening and closing said drain passageway; second valve means for selectively opening and closing said airbleed passageway;` and a single manual control for substantially simultaneously opening or closing both said drain passageway and said air-bleed passageway, to permit selective draining of, liquid from the inner shell of said jug while the top` of the jug is. maintainedl closed.v

2. A combination drain and venting means for an in# sulated jug of the type having a double-walled construction dening an insulating space between inner and outer wall shells ofthe jug, an openable top for the jugr through whichliquid may be introducedinto the inner shell of said jug, anddrain means adjacentthe bottom of the inner shell of said jug for selectively dispensingliquid from the jug; said combination drain and venting means.

l1 comprising, in combination: means defining a vent opentime, the drain-valve means for the. jug is normally closed by valve member 64, and this prevents discharge of liquid through the drain opening. The control button 66 constitutes a single manual control which is positioned for operative association with both the drain-valve means and the vent-valve means so that both said valve means are substantially simultaneously opened when the button 66 is depressed, thereby permitting controlled gravity discharge of liquid from the jug. While the control button 66 is shown mounted for reciprocal movement so as to operate both. the drain-valve means. and the vent-Valve means, it will be understood that other types of control. button movement, such as pivotal or rotary, may be uti.-v lized to effect said substantially simultaneous opening of. the drain-valve and vent-valve means'. Y

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereinY without departing from the in vention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination drain` and venting means forl an insulated jug of the type having a double-walled construction defining an insulating space between inner and outer wall shells of the jug, an openable top for the jug through which liquid may be introduced into the inner shell of said jug, and drain means adjacent the bottom of the inner shell of said jug for selectively dispensing liquid from the jug; said combination drain and venting means comprisingin combination.: means dening a vent opening in ing in the inner shell of the jug adjacent. the top of. the

jug; valve body means carried by said jug and defining therein an elongated drain passageway means one end of. which opens through the inner shellfof the jug ad-v jacent the bottom thereof and the other end of which is below said one end and terminates outwardly of ,the outer shell of said jug, and an elongated air-bleed` pas-V sageway means, one end of which is positioned in said insulating space of thev jug and the other end of which terminates outwardly of they outer shell of said jug; airbleed means locatedv wholly within said insulating space ofthe jug and communicating said onerend of the bleed passageway means to said vent opening; tirst valve means including a normally closed, spring-biased, tirst valve member for selectively opening and closing said drain passageway; second valve means including a normally closed,l spring-biased, second valve member for selec--l tively opening Vand closing said air-.bleed passageway; arsingle manual control for substantially simultaueouslymoving said spring-biased valve members of said first and second valve means in the same direction away from their normally closed positions to permit selective drainiugot liquid from the inner shell otv said jug while the top ot the jug is maintained closed.

vReferences Cited in the lerof this patent UNITED STATvES PATENTS Snyder July '31. 1956 NN. www. 

